Romeo And Juliet Is A Famous Tragedy
‘To be or not to be, that is the question’ or in other words, is it better for Shakespeare to just die or live on? In case if you didn’t know, 400 years later, Shakespeare is still relevant In our lives today through the various themes explored in his plays. I’m sure you’ve all heard about the well-known Shakespearean play of ‘Romeo + Juliet’, the famous yet tragic two young star-crossed lovers whose death ultimately reconcile their feuding families. Throughout the play, numerous themes are explored, such as Love and Fate, whose importance is heavily relevant today. In R + J, Love is a fierce, exciting and overwhelming power that conquers everything whereas, Fate, plays a pivotal role in the play, as its seen as a power beyond anyone’s control
Given that ‘Romeo and Juliet’ represents one of the world's most acclaimed and abiding romantic tales of all time, it appears glaringly evident that the play should highlight the theme of love. Despite the fact that Romeo and Juliet is seemingly the most archetypal romantic story in the English language, it depicts just a quite certain kind of love: young, unreasonable and passionate love.
To make things straight, all of these events took place over just 4 days. Only 4 days, not 4 years!! At the Balcony scene, after the first day of the meeting, they both exchange vows, promising to get married as Romeo says “The exchange of thy love’s faithful vow for mine”. This just shows the fickleness of Love between Romeo and Juliet and how quickly they urged to get married, illustrating irrational decisions about their feelings and love. This just illustrated, how nowadays, especially among young people, like high school relationships, that feelings can change quickly and with the contend with growing up, new responsibilities, youngsters may act irrationally when making important decisions when based on ‘love’. It’s as Frank Dicksee comments about Romeo and Juliet’s urgency to get married even though it’s their second meeting, “The lovers' haste to marry strains credulity, it seems like a childish fantasy of love at first sight”.
Did they truly loved each other or was it just a lustful desire? “Come, gentle night, come, loving black-browed night, Give me my Romeo, and when I shall die, Take him and cut him out in little stars”. Here, Juliet is yearning for her wedding night. “Die” Elizabethan slang for orgasm. Romeo cut him out in little stars --- metaphor for the sexual ecstasy Juliet anticipates. Today, Lust often blinds the idea of real love. Many teen movies focus on this unrealistic love.
It seems as if, the love between Romeo and Juliet was more of superficial love than authentic love as “For I never saw true beauty till this night”. Romeo, for the first time, is seeing Juliet and is intrigued by her beauty. It seems as if he forgot about Rosaline, whom he loved before? This shows how quick he is to rush into a relationship and how superficial his love was. Nowadays, relationships are more superficial than ever, such as dating apps, reality shows, social media, people only like you based on how you look, not your personality.
Overall, the theme of Love in R + J highlights, the fickleness of Love, Authentic vs superficial love and as to their love was just lustful desire, but through R + J, we can see how much it reflects what love is like in society.
The theme of fate is evidently present throughout the whole play. Shakespeare makes it clear that fate is ultimately unavoidable regardless and this is perfectly seen in R + J. The evidence is clear through the dreams, foreshadowing, timing vs coincidence and fate vs free will.
It is very obvious, that throughout the play, fate can act as a scapegoat. “ O, I am fortune’s fool”. These lines of Romeo after killing Tybalt, expressed that fortune, or fate, has made a fool of him and how fate caused the deaths of Mercutio and Tybalt, instead of himself. Even, nowadays Numerous individuals pursue horoscopes and zodiacs to legitimize their frames of mind, character, and results and decisions throughout everyday life. People utilize the belief that 'things happen for a reason’ to explain occasions that happen to them. It’s like what J.B Henneman said “ Character is destiny. The tragedy comes from the qualities of Romeo’s character and not from an unfavourable star of frowning providence”. Meaning that its not fate’s fault, but rather his fault. Meaning that its not fate’s fault, but rather his fault.
Fate can just also happen to tell the future.“I fear too early, for my mind misgives;Some”. Here Before Romeo goes to the Capulet ball where he meets Juliet, Romeo has an uneasy feeling that things will take an unexpected turn. This is pertinent as individuals today use ‘fate’ to figure out what will occur in their life and how they will live their lives. Like Romeo, individuals depend on fate or the stars to legitimize their activities and perspectives on specific things.
Also, throughout R + J, the idea of Life is predestined by impersonal forces is clearly evident. “ “From forth the fatal loins of these two foes A pair of star-crossed lovers take their life”. Here, the prologue discloses to us that Romeo and Juliet will bite the dust, and that their lamentable end is destined. Their births and passings are depicted in a similar short expression, which again proposes that their demises were destined from the minute they were conceived. Nowadays, some people believe the course of your life was determined by the motion and position of the stars
Thus, the theme of fate plays a key role in Romeo and Juliet, through the ideas of Fate telling your future, fate acting as a scapegoat and that life is predestined by impersonal forces. Not only is it evident in R + J play, but nowadays too, people believe in the ideas of fate and how its a strong force in our lives
